Less-Than-Great December

Thus ends December, and as you can see on the Scientific Habs Information Tracking System (S.H.I.T.S.), it ended on a sour and angry note instead of glee and giddiness.

Even though there’s a fair amount of yellow in December (8 games won, 6 lost), the boys didn’t play well for most of it.

The wins were all one-goal squeakers, except for the 3-1 game against Phoenix, but the third goal was an empty-netter. And as you can see in their losses, one was 6-0, another 5-1, then 4-1, and that pathetic implosion in Carolina when they dropped a 5-4 OT stinker.

Peter Budaj lost his last two starts, and was part of the miserable Los Angeles Kings 6-0 spanking when he replaced Price after our number 1 guy allowed four goals on 16 shots.

The saving grace is that the Canadiens are still firmly lodged in fourth place overall in the East, which isn’t chopped liver. Pittsburgh leads with 59 points, then Boston with 54, then TB with 50 and the Habs also with 50. Washington trails in fifth with 45.

Not bad by the boys, but for the big picture it is. Except for Price, who’s been mostly stellar, it was an entire month of mediocre hockey played.

Here’s hoping it’s new-found vim and vigour in 2014 . And maybe a trade or two.